Georgia pulls away from Vanderbilt 38-14 as Berlowitz starts for injured Curtis

Vanderbilt stayed within seven at halftime in Athens, but Georgia shut out the Commodores after the break in a game quarterback Jared Curtis missed with an undisclosed injury.

ATHENS, Ga. — Vanderbilt lost to Georgia 38-14 in an SEC game at Sanford Stadium on Oct. 3, with Blaze Berlowitz starting at quarterback in place of the injured Jared Curtis. It was the third start of the season for Berlowitz.

The absence of Curtis removed one of the weekend's biggest storylines. The quarterback had once been committed to Georgia before switching his commitment to Vanderbilt, and considerable attention had built around seeing him face the Bulldogs. An undisclosed injury kept him off the field.

Berlowitz had opened the season as the starter under center for Vanderbilt, taking the first two games before Curtis claimed the job. The change in roles even led Berlowitz to line up at wide receiver for a set of snaps during the Commodores' loss to Auburn earlier in the year. Against Georgia, the offense was back in his hands.

The loss dropped Vanderbilt to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in SEC play, leaving the Commodores without a conference win through five games. Georgia stayed unbeaten at 5-0 overall and 3-0 in league games.

There was real encouragement for the visitors in the first half. Vanderbilt went into the break down only seven and had outgained Georgia across the opening two quarters. After halftime the game flipped, with Georgia's defense keeping the Commodores off the scoreboard the rest of the way while the Bulldogs stretched their lead.

Berlowitz finished 12-of-23 through the air for 190 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and he chipped in 37 yards on eight rushes. He was sacked only one time all afternoon, routinely slipping away from pressure and hitting open receivers after the initial play dissolved. His 60-yard completion went down as Vanderbilt's longest play of the season.

The decisive stretch came in the third quarter. Vanderbilt got a hand on a third-down pass and nearly came away with a stop, but the deflection landed with receiver Lawson Luckie, who took it for a 43-yard gain, and Georgia finished that drive with a touchdown. On Vanderbilt's next possession, a fourth-down catch by Junior Sherrill was overturned on review into a turnover on downs. After Georgia kicked a field goal on its ensuing possession, defensive back Ellis Robinson intercepted a well-thrown Berlowitz pass with a standout individual effort.

Amid the defeat, Vanderbilt's run defense held its own. No Georgia player finished with more than 31 yards rushing, and the Bulldogs as a team averaged fewer than four yards per carry. The passing game was a different challenge altogether. Quarterback Gunner Stockton completed 25 of 32 attempts for 295 yards and three touchdowns, pairing downfield strikes with quick checkdown throws.

The schedule moves on quickly. Global Sportscast's listings show Georgia at Northern Ireland next, on Monday, October 5, at 2:45 PM EDT from Windsor Park.